EinsNull magazine lyrical about LS1
2011, December 21st
German EinsNull magazin reviewed the LS1 and digged really deep into all details. They were stunned by the LS1's performance. Editor in chief Christian Rechenbach wrote: "This is probably the most "correct" loudspeaker I've ever laid ears on. The combined honesty, neutrality and pleasing musicality is at a level that I haven't come across before."
EinsNull magazin website (E-paper 06-2011)
Grimm Audio LS1
CC1 review in Sound on Sound
2011, September
Sound on Sound published a short review of the CC1 master clock. Although the author praised the build quality of the unit, he also noted that he could not hear any improvement in the sound of his setup. Unfortunately he did not mention that he prefers converters with high jitter attenuation on their clock input. This encouraged us to write a manufacturers comment that will be published in the November 2011 issue of Sound on Sound. Below is a link to both the article and the comment.
Sound on Sound CC1 review
Manufacturers comment
An illuminating CC1 experience
2011, June 4th
Another enthusiastic review for the CC1, this time with pro gear in a hi-fi setting. Reinhold Martin of the German 'Hifi Statement Net Magazine' tests the CC1 with a DAD AX24 converter and a Weiss AFI digital interface. He writes: "Absolutely indispensible is the Dutch master clock from Grimm Audio. Throughout even the most turbulent passages the recording space stays luxuriously illuminated and the soundstage remains absolutely clear."
Hifi Statement Net Magazine CC1 review (in German)
Dutch HVT magazine admires LS1
2011, March
"Did Grimm Audio reinvent the loudspeaker?" heads the enthusiastic article by Bert Oling of Hi-fi Video Test. Bert explores numerous technical features of the LS1 design and writes in great detail about the sound. He notes aspects like "a truthfull image size at all kinds of playback levels", "a very neutral sound colour, even off-axis", "very analytical but without even a hint of listening fatigue", and surprisingly "visiting females were without exception charmed by the visual design"...
Hi-fi Video test magazine
Hi-fi Video test LS1 test pdf (in Dutch)
Hi-Fi News reviews LS1
2011, March
Famous UK magazine Hi-Fi News made the LS1 'editor's choice' of their March issue. Author Keith Howard was impressed by the LS1's unusual design, its measured performance, the tonal neutrality and meticulously controlled stereo image. Unfortunately he did not get used to the speakers' extremely low distortion during the course of his review and he confused this with a lack of "the harsh truth". Indeed the LS1 does not add an edge of its own and some hi-fi lovers will miss that. People looking for a precision tool that is both honest and natural will however appreciate this character.
Hi-Fi News magazine
Dutch reviewer applauds LS1
2010, October 27th
More LS1 admiration! Reviewer Wessel Oltheten of the Dutch Pro Audio & Video magazine wrote in their November issue: "I could observe time related aspects of the sound that I never heard on other monitors. For example I heard the individual reflections of a slap-back echo. And I heard the action of a compressor: its exact threshold point, the amount of reduction and the release. (...) You have to work hard on the LS1's to get a good sounding mix, but once you have it, you can be sure it really is a good mix. Decisions on balance and eq can be made with high precision." The article did not mention that after the review Wessel sold his high quality monitor set and traded it for a pair of LS1's...
Pro Audio & Video
Pro Audio & Video LS1 review pdf (in Dutch)
Studio Magazin rave review of LS1
2010, July
Germany's main professional audio magazine 'Studio Magazin' gave the LS1 an 'A plus' in their very positive review. To cite author Fritz Fey: "After 30 years of editorship I thought I ran out of superlatives. 'Fairylike' however never was among them but I could not find a better wording to describe a studio monitor that is equally suited as source of pleasure as for reference use. (…) We listened to pop, rock, jazz and classical music in random order and were always offered the same experience of exceptional naturalness, musicality and tonal purity. (…) I have rarely auditioned a loudspeaker that can sound so beautiful and at the same time is so unsparing on bad source material. (…) The goal of Grimm Audio to develop a loudspeaker that simply sounds 'right', has been reached to extreme high level. (…) Anyone who cares for uncompromised audio quality should get to know the LS1."
Studio Magazin
Studio Magazin LS1 review pdf (in German)
TapeOp reviews the CC1
2010, February 4th
US magazin TapeOp, well known for its profound reviews, published a substantial test of the CC1. Two authors, Garrett Haines and Bob Katz independently performed extensive tests, including a blind listening test with 80 trials. They concluded "we should regard this listening test as very indicative that the Grimm clock makes the 192 I/O sound better." This is a very important conclusion, since it is the first time in history that there is scientific indication that jitter frequencies below 200 Hz do influence sound quality.
TapeOp
TapeOp CC1 review pdf
HVT tests CC1
2010, February 3rd
The Netherlands' main Hifi magazine 'Hifi Video Test' features a four page article about the CC1 in their February issue. Author Marnix Bosman presents background information on jitter and puts the CC1 to test as master clock for an Esoteric SA-10. He finds "a larger improvement even than I expected. The sound actually gains quality in all aspects." Using the CC1 as digital interlink reclock unit he enjoys improvements ranging from 'interesting' to 'massive'.
Hifi Video Test magazine
Hifi Video Test CC1 test pdf (in Dutch)
CC1 review in Music Emotion
2009, November
Dutch hifi magazine Music Emotion featured a review of the
CC1 by Jan de Jeu. On a test where the CC1 reclocks the spdif
line of his CD transport he writes: "... A beautiful
stereo image. Normally I never play this disc until the end
but this time I keep listening breathlessly. Amazed by the
difference I keep switching back and forth. (...) Both ends
of the spectrum are beautifully expressed in the sound of
the organ and brass instruments. The texture of the brass
instruments is fabulous."
Music
Emotion
Hi-fi World grants CC1 five Globes
2009, March 26th
British magazine Hi-fi World raved about the CC1 in their review for the May issue and granted it the maximum amount of 5 Globes, which is "Outstanding". Reviewer Tony Bolton used the CC1 as word clock source for a Marantz SA-7 and experienced improvements in texture, focus, definition and stereo image. He enjoyed beautiful resonance and impact of hard struck piano chords. And he felt that the whole spectrum of the sound improved with the CC1. Please enjoy reading his full Hi-fi World review pdf.
Hi-fi World
Hi-fi World CC1 review pdf
CC1 review in Studio Magazin
2008, August
The editorial team of German magazin 'Studio Magazin' did two large articles on word clocks and were impressed by the CC1 and our support. From part 1 (August 2008): "The Grimm CC1 offers a beautiful and precise sound, a pleasure to listen to." From part 2 (September 2008): "The jitter measurement results of the CC1 were the best of all competitors" (compared to Apogee Big Ben and Mutec iClock)
Studio Magazin
Japanese publisher Ongen Publishing Co has given the CC1 their "Audio Excellence Award 2009" in the category 'Other Equipment'. Ongen publishes three Hifi magazines and a web-site. We are very honoured indeed!
The New York AES show was very successful. In particularly the CC1 attracted attention because nearly any studio can benefit greatly from its quality. To our big surprise the CC1 even received the "Pro Audio Review Excellence Award 2006".
At our first US AES show in 2004, Scott Dorsey of Positive Feedback gave the AD1 the 'Best new product in Show' award. Quoting: "Certainly one of the more carefully designed A/D converters I have seen in a while, and the simplicity of the DSD process makes it possible to implement with op-amps and comparators rather than relying on monolithic converter chips."